Loss and Love, Loss and Latias
by Latiaslover56
Summary: Latias loves Ash, but will he ever be back? And when he does, can she ever leave Altomare? And even if she does, how will she ever make him understand? Vignette-based writing with an emphasis on poetry than plot development. Will probably make jumps in continuity. Also may not be factually incorrect, welcome corrections! T for writing style though content-wise safe probably K.
1. Farewell

**Hey all! First time trying to write, just had to get the itches out of my system. Feel free to review or suggest anything, but don't be too mean :**

* * *

" _And Ash's Charizard is unable to battle! Gary Oak of Pallet Town leads Ash Ketchum, also of Pallet Town, five Pokemon to one! Can Ash make the ultimate comeback or will the son of esteemed Professor Oak make his long-awaited coronation as the Silver Conference Champion? And the million dollar question everybody is asking,_ where is Ash's Latias _?"_

The black-haired boy picked the last of his Pokeballs from his belt. He glanced at it unsurely, the fear of failing before millions of eyes seeming to weigh on his every move, and began in a hushed whisper. "Latias, I don't know what's gotten into you, but please, I need you to fight for me one last time. I know I promised to always keep your best interests in mind, but you promised too always to be by my side, and I need you now. I need you more than ever..."

His hands trembled before steeling in a surge of determination, the overwhelming desire to survive that has driven countless lives in the face of adversity. He wound up, his pounding heart finding its rhythm in routine, and his body went through the motions it knew so well.

"Latias, I choose you!"

The crowd erupted as the famous silhouette of the Eon dragon materialized, and the opposing blue-haired trainer's chest heaved deeply as he steeled himself for the upcoming battle.

And beneath the uproar, a burdened voice choked out "and take care of yourself out there, I can't bear to see you hurt like that

* * *

Latias giggled as she danced away from the harbor, a stupefied Ash and his Pikachu in her wake. She didn't expect him to react so strongly to a little peck on the cheek! As she rounded a bend she immediately turned invisible and poked her head back around the corner. The noontime sun gave everything a piercing clarity, and as the boat rocked against the dock and Swellow flitted about overhead Latias took in the scene. The boy with the red cap stood still, not moving a muscle, staring right where she had turned the corner. Water gently lapping against the shore seemed to produce the only sound, keeping time dutifully in a moment that defied time, an instant at once ephemeral and everlasting, a single sliver of eternity that could never be washed away by the ebb and flow of change. No, Latias would later decide, there were no waves, nothing was moving, for surely such a fragile peace would have been shattered at the slightest prodding.

She willed the seconds to stretch into minutes, the minutes into hours, but to no avail. A piercing "Ash, hurry up, let's go already!" rang out from the motorboat, shattering the illusion. The boy shook his head as if to snap out of a trance and turned around, slowly disappearing beneath the railing. A tired whirring sent ripples through the water, startling a stray Feebas or two out of the water. The red cap and yellow mouse, barely peeking over the railing, drifted away in a straight line that parted the cloudless sky reflected on the surface of the ocean.

Latias watched as the boat sank under the horizon, until even her enhanced vision could no longer detect the slightest ripple in the distance. Its serenity restored after the vessel's buzzing had died away, the scene that meant home to Latias held her attention for an indeterminate time longer as she reflected on everything that had happened in the past few days, from the festival to the assault on her hometown to deflecting the assault at the ultimate cost of her brother's life to the departure of the hero at the center of it all. A lingering sadness tugged at her heartstrings as she turned her back on the sea. She ambled about on the dock for a while longer, seemingly for no reason at all, before a waning sunlight called her attention to her tardiness. She gained some altitude and shot inland.

* * *

"Latias, where were you! You were gone for so long, never make me worried like that _again_ do you understand?" A girl dressed in a green blouse with little splashes of white around the edge topping a pair of a petite white skirt framed by knee high black socks and pink sneakers scolded what appeared to be empty space. "Don't you _ever_ think you can just get away with simply sneaking into the house, I can hear your every move you know!" The two fork-like hair formations that adorned her head bobbed viciously with every word, seemingly threatening on every breath to take on a life of their own and impale the poor victim of her wrath.

The empty space shimmered briefly as a floating dragon took form. A downy white torso sat atop a deep red running from the end of her pointy tail through her feet and stabilizing wings to her small claws. The same red dotted her face almost like a battle armor were it not of the same soft luster as the rest of her body. A mouth perpetually open in a look of curiosity, hair forks not unlike those of the girl facing her and a pair of gentle, warmly yellow eyes adorned a head that sat on the end of a long, slender neck. A blue triangle adorned her chest, an allusion to a lost past.

Latias nudged Bianca gently with her snout before resuming her slightly shameful, bowed posture. She knew that she had stayed out too long, particularly without Latios to keep an eye on her. It was just so easy to lose track of time! Having a twin legendary brother who can sight share and communicate telepathically is really quite underrated.

Bianca sighed. "I know it's been hard for you girl, first Latios leaving and then knowing that Ash was bound to continue on his journey any day now. You're strong, there's no denying that, but you should still take it easy. It's hard to lose so many people you care about in such a short time. Are you sure you're doing okay?" She wrapped Latias in a hug about the neck. Latias cooed and let a small smile slip onto her face, her claws pulling Bianca in for a tight hug. She liked Bianca's hugs; they always seemed so warm and so caring, just the way a caretaker should be. Latias thought Bianca would make a terrific breeder, but alas, art was her passion, and she was was an extraordinary talent at that as well. Bianca smiled as she felt Latias ease up. "After all, you still have Lorenzo and me…"

She abruptly pushed the dragon away. "So, did he like it? I saw you go through so many drafts of that drawing, you should be proud of it! If I spent so much time on something I don't think I'd ever give it away." Latias chirped and twirled in the air as she remembered Ash's pleasure at seeing her drawing. She could tell that he liked it, and it made her gush with happiness.

Bianca pulled Latias in again and leaned in close. "Did you give him…anything else?" she asked, mischievous grin present and voice dripping with suggestiveness. Latias's calm wilted under the piercing scrutiny of her friend and she turned away, a full blush on her face. "Aha! I knew it! What'd you do, what'd you do? Did he like it? Did _you_ like it? Ohh, I bet you liked it! I bet you _looooooved_ it, am I right girl?" Bianca poked and scratched the dragon as she teased, the latter squirming in embarrassment, body twisting every which way. One misguided thrash sent Bianca onto her back. Latias poked her head over, eyes wide in concern. She whimpered and nudged her caretaker gently with her snout, careful not to make too much contact lest the girl be hurt. Bianca grunted back "oof… well, judging from how your reaction there, you _really_ loved it!" Latias neighed in protest before she promptly flattened the girl. Peals of laughter rang out in the room as the girls giggled together, the pains of the past few days temporarily forgotten.

* * *

Latias floated to and fro in the secret garden, sleep not coming to her. She cast another wayward glance at her brother's usual perch and quickly looked away. She could still almost see the faint blue outline of her brother, the same downy white feathers as hers, the look of determination he could never take off, and most of all the red triangle on his chest that mirrored her own blue one. Even having turned her head Latias couldn't help but bring one claw to the symbol on her chest, now ever so alone in the world. It had already been many days of the same routine for the female dragon, yet no day felt any different, any better. The faint silhouette of her brother never seemed any less real, every time as if she could tackle him again like she always did. He never liked it, it messed up his plumage and she was growing heavier and it wasn't like a legendary to do so and she should be growing up and...it was almost as if he were still there to chastise her every move. She had hated it then, but now...she whimpered.

"Latias?" Bianca's gentle voice cut through the smooth sounds of flowing water to bring Latias back to reality. "Can't sleep again?" The Eon dragon floated up to her, eyes glistening with tears. Latias shook her head and looked away.

"I thought you'd be up again. You haven't slept well all of the last two weeks." A moment of silence passed as the friends seemed to hold each other without moving a muscle. Again the only sound to be heard was a trickling of the creek as it found its way through the garden. A single tear mirrored the water as it slid down feather after feather out of view of the green-shirted girl before losing its traction and landing on the ground with a barely audible plop.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" Latias turned abruptly to face her friend. Her distress slowly gave way to an unforced smile, and she nuzzled Bianca happily. The two lay down on the soft grass, arms around each other, and were soon fast asleep, their gently heaving chests accompanied only by a trickle of moonlight finding its way through the trees as it danced on the flowing water. And at the heart of the garden, if one could have seen the brilliant jewel that seemed to beat with life, one might have seen it too pulse ever so imperceptibly as the two girls fell asleep. Deep tones of blue mixed with a passionate red before seeming to hesitate, almost as if lost in thought. Finally the tumult settled down and the garden was once again at peace.


	2. First loss

**Woo, thanks for the follows :D I should clarify that I don't intend to update as slowly as this update took, but I also am not sure what I can promise in terms of update speed. I do apologize for the unnatural delay though D:**

* * *

 _She knew she was in trouble. The humans could see her, and she was growing ever weaker under assault. Ariados's string shot had just hit her, and she knew once slowed down she would be easy capturing._

 _Latios darted in front of her. Why would he do that? She heard her brother squeal and wrestle the string that held him in place. A net flew through the air, and before either dragon could react the net had wrapped itself around the blue dragon. It delivered tremendous shocks, and Latias pained to see her brother twitch in its throes._

"Find the boy" _was all she heard before her brother was taken away. She cried, she thrashed, she hurt, she..._

Latias awoke in a cold sweat. She looked around her. A faint beam of moonlight streamed in through the window and Ledyba buzzed away in the distance. This, along with Bianca's heavy breathing told her that this was still deep in the night, far away from daybreak when she would be free of these horrible, horrible dreams.

She slipped silently out of bed. She would be going for a quick walk before going back to sleep.

* * *

Latias flew around Alto Mare for the thirtieth time this day. Or was it the thirty-first? She wasn't sure; Latios had always been better with numbers. She took it all in once more, the narrow roads that slithered between the numerous houses, the rivers that branched out from the heart of the city in all directions and provided the primary mode of transportation, the adobe buildings that furnished domestic and industrial shelter alike for the city's burgeoning population. The setting sun threw its softening rays sideways across the city, criss-crossing the ground in intricate patterns after finding its way through the dense cityscape. The canals had begun to busy as everyone filed into their boats, the dominant transportation in Alto Mare. A few ambitious cyclists braved the labyrinthine roads that took unnecessarily many turns in an attempt to escape the impending hell in the canals, but it was always a futile endeavor: the city was built to be traversed by boat, roads linking only the closest destinations with nary the slightest concern for an overall order. After all, the canals were all that one needed to get home.

Latias came up on her favorite side of the island, a sheer cliff facing away from the . In the setting sun, the cliff and the houses that lined the top, mere dots in comparison to the full height of the cliff, made for a beautifully artistic scene, and Latias often took Bianca here at the latter's request. Moreover, the seclusion of the base of the cliff allowed the two aspiring artists to practice their sculpture in isolation; there was still an awkwardly assembled dragon lying somewhere in the darkness that was Latias's first attempt at a self-sculpture and one she preferred stay a secret. But the true beauty of this face of the island was best seen the opposite time of day, when the rising sun first stretched its warm rays through the wisps of mist that were yet to dissipate from the night. In the morning, the houses at the top of the cliff shone an otherworldly brilliance as their bright neon colors bathed in the sun, as if freshly dipped in the most adventurous painter's palette. Their kaleidoscopic coloration was intended to help sailors who had been lost the previous day and forced to spend the night at sea home the next morning. Such a tradition was soon adopted all around the island, but no one stretch caught the sun quite like this one did.

The Eon dragon, now sole Guardian of Alto Mare flew on to the West coast of the island, the final leg of her trip. Here, two proud pillars topped with stone statues framed the sunset as they had done for decades, a homage to the city's ever watchful guardians. One of the statues had flowers scattered all over its base at the top of the pillar. Latias slowed down and approached the slightly larger of the two statues and lay down the flower in her mouth. She knew that the frequent winds would soon erase her effort to decorate her brother, but it was a comforting duty to perform nonetheless. She spent a wordless minute, eyes closed and head bowed, pressed flush against the triumphant pose her inanimate brother was frozen in. Then she rose, the setting sun piercing the space between the two dragons, and took in the entirety of Alto Mare one last time. This was _her_ island now, and she had to know every nook and cranny of the town she'd grown to adore. A deep protectiveness gushed out, accompanied by the worry that she wasn't yet ready, the same feelings that failed her every day, the same inquietude that drove her lap after lap around the town. She shook it off and shot inland, anxious not to keep Bianca and Lorenzo waiting for dinner.

* * *

Bianca, Lorenzo and Latias sat around a table eating cheerily, food fast disappearing from the bowls and plates in the middle of the three.

"Dear, your cooking has really come into its own!" Lorenzo struggled to articulate amid gargantuan bites of food. He'd be a bit more polite with the heartfelt compliment, but it would require slowing down his eating, and that was never a good idea when competing with a psychic dragon for food. What were once scores of berries were now slim pickings soaking in the juices of their fallen comrades. A pile of bones, despite seemingly clean, seemed to continually generate steaming scraps of meat as it yielded treasure after treasure to Latias's unrelenting psychic efforts. An empty plate contained earlier an ornate tree assembled from salad leaves that nobody wished to disturb, a delicate equilibrium speedily lost as a stray elbow knocked down the work of art.

Bianca grinned. "Thanks Gramps. It isn't so hard to learn though, when you can try your hand at so many dishes in the course of a day..." She shot Latias a glance of the corner of her eye. The dragon, having been more than happy to comply in eating Bianca's experiments, rubbed her tummy and purred back. All three laughed.

"So, Latias, how was your — hey, give that back!" Bianca fumed as the berry she targeted "mysteriously" slipped towards Latias's plate. Latias feigned a look of confusion as the berry found its way to right in front of Bianca's mouth. A claw beckoned at Bianca to bite. "Oh, so this was for me? Sure..." Bianca rolled her eyes and bit forward. Yet her teeth caught nothing but empty air before gnashing against each other. She blinked in surprise, and tried again only to be met once more with disappointment. Her face twisted in a look of complete bewilderment, she decided to grab the berry with her hand instead. At this point, Lorenzo was doing all he could not to break out in a hearty chuckle, having seen the berry pull back every so imperceptibly every time, but when the berry eluded his granddaughter yet again his restraint failed, and he keeled over laughing.

"Gramps! Stop, it's not funny!" a purple-nosed Bianca said. The berry had "slipped" from between her fingers and "bounced" off her nose before landing "by mere chance" in Latias's mouth. The dragon trilled in delight before zooming off, fuming brunette hot in pursuit to the tune of a deep throaty laughter that comes only with time.

* * *

"...and that's why if _I_ am elected mayor, I will give to the people the power to decide the temperature of their preferred beverage! Rampant greed has corrupted the merchants of our great State, and we must fight back with every means possible at the governing level to return the power of decision to whom it belongs! A vote for Smith is a vote for the poor, for the plenty, for the people! Arceus bless you all, and Arceus bless the Sovereign State of Altomare!"

Raucous applause erupted and the mass of people in the square displaced as a continuous blob to one side, seemingly swayed by the ostensible charisma of the former candidate. From the other end of the stage, a thin, creaky voice answered,

"But it is precisely you, the 99%, that should define how your hard work is valued! Does the common know how you have toiled, how you have sweat and sacrificed to serve your neighbors? Do they dare pretend to know your struggle, every compromise you make to put food on the table for your loved ones and your Pokemon? No, let that power be yours, and let too the power to determine _your_ commodity's condition be yours! You, the merchant, have every right to serve your star sodas at your temperature of choice! A vote for Sully is a vote for recognition, for empowerment and fairness in the cruel market! Arceus bless you all, and Arceus bless the Sovereign State of Altomare!"

The crowd needed hardly a second before gathering itself in one incomprehensible roar-like utterance and lurching to the other side of the square. An invisible dragon, forehead pinker than its usual snowy white from repeated pounding against a conveniently present wall, shook her head furiously. The ritual of vacillating support seemed to have gone on all afternoon by now, and she had yet to figure out whether this was some ancient practice or a reflection of the simple public's susceptibility to high rhetoric, however empty. Being at her first election, she could hardly know the answer, and decided that it was the former for the sake of her faith in her beloved city. She now understood why year after year at this time Latios's forehead would inexplicably pinken. She had teased him about it, that he was paying homage to her clearly superior red, and was time and time again met with a frustrated promise to show her the next year.

Her head hurt from the triviality of it all. Perhaps it was the benefit of having ever watchful psychic guardians, but Altomare hardly saw any real conflict; foreign policy was resolved in natural manners, any hostility wavering quickly at a paralyzingly glare from the male Guardian, and domestic unrest was quelled by both the generosity and arbitration of the female Eon dragon. As a result, Altomare politics was a wash of trivialities, campaigning on issues teetering on the edge of existence, far beyond the realm of significance. Yet it was a thriving part of Altomare that had to be kept under surveillance by the omniscient eye of the Guardian.

Somewhere, Latias was sure her brother was cackling maniacally. She stuck her tongue out at empty space before zooming off. While the square was still full, she could sense the well-meaning hearts of everyone beneath her (not to mention their sheer _simpleness_ ) and left in confidence before the vapid lack of intelligence drove her mad.

* * *

Bianca brushed aside the "closed indefinitely" sign hanging over the and scurried in, an unsettled urgency replacing her habitually strong, confident pacing. The door lingered open for a brief moment before admitting a shimmer and closing with a brisk snap.

An unnatural hush seeped through the air. The usually grandly lit chamber was illuminated with a single flickering candle, a small warm warmth fighting against the encroaching darkness that seemed to dance on the walls. A shadow swept briskly across the wall, bowl in hand, to a small corner of the room. A head with two perky ears floated not far behind.

"Gramps, how are you doing?" Bianca stirred at the bowl and blew on it, cooling the freshly made soup. A quivering voice grunted affirmatively. Latias bobbed her head over and nuzzled the old man softly on the hand. Lorenzo chuckled and slowly ran his hand through the soft feathers on her head. He turned his head to look at the beautiful dragon, gazing into a pair of profoundly worried eyes that seemed to shimmer, whether from tears or the flickering flame it was unsure.

Lorenzo suddenly made a motion to sit up. Normally Bianca would have protested had not a small glow appeared around the aged man. Latias had expected Lorenzo to want to shift and had a psychic at ready to support his weight, or rather negate it, better than any mattress ever could.

"Bianca, we have both known this day long in the coming. I have had a more fortunate old age, and indeed a more blessed life, than most, surrounded by those whom I love and that which I enjoy, but death has its way with every mortal some day or another.

I still remember when I first took you in, Bianca, oh you were but a child. You knew to help out around the business, but I could see that carpentry was never for you. I saw how every time we took a boat out, you stared wordlessly around, in awe of the beauty of our beautiful city. I saw your eyes sparkle every time you found just the perfect scene, the joy in your every word as you scrambled to show me what you could see. And I bought you your first sketch books. You know the rest of this story much better than I, and I wouldn't dare be the one to tell it.

You have always been an artist Bianca. Now that Latias is all grown up, there is little reason for you to stay in a business that was never yours to love, never your burden to bear. What began as a means and excuse to bring up the twins in safety should not and cannot become your burden. This is not your call to make; I have already dissolved the business. In addition to the remaining stock, i made a few last gondolas. Most are to sell, and being the finest of our craft they will be enough to send you to art school somewhere on the mainland. But I saved one for you, forever here should you choose to return to the waters that watched you grow up. These are perhaps the only gifts an old pair of calloused hands can give you by now."

Lorenzo coughed and chuckled again before continuing

"It appears death finds me tardy to our date. And you, Latias. I have even less for you than for Bianca, for what could I hope to give a Legendary Guardian. I talked to the mayor about our city's military, and under the guise of Latios's loss I convinced him to redouble our military powers. At the current pace, in a few years you will be free to see the world you have only seen on television and heard in stories. You deserve to see the world too, dear friend, not merely to be shackled to a city stuck in the middle of a vast solitude.

With that, I beg your collective pardon and ask your permission to leave you. Farewells were never my strength, but I hope my words have found some accord with you in your hearts to chase the dreams you have always held close. I leave you with my favorite line in the little I've ever read: above all else, to thine own self be true!"

With that, the old man settled back into a slumber, and while he was still breathing the two girls knew it would be his last, best rest. They cried together, for the only father either had ever known.


End file.
